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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

posted 01/25/11 - I wince every time I put up a "can you ID?" post. Given the increasingly limited time I'm willing to put into blogging, I tried and failed to make a positive ID, and yet I'm still curious enough to post this to Nature ID to ask others. The past several days, I've looked sporadically for online photographic matches of this fungus and have come up empty handed. In the mean time, I've made a new grouped list specifically for fungi (labels and grouped lists, at the bottom of each post and linked to the right of my home page, are mostly ordered alphabetically). I'd appreciate any genus names or hints if you're familiar with this particular mushroom. From the top view, it reminds me of delicious, golden pancakes with gills underneath. Where's the butter and syrup? Unlike other "bracket" type (i.e., growing from wood) mushrooms, these were not found on a rotting log or stump, but were stretching out from a dirt cliff. Upon closer inspection, it looks like there's an old woody branch sticking out of the dirt - possibly an old tree root?

I was considering writing a ranting monologue about the nature of traditional identification keys for the various biology disciplines and how they're really only useful to the few people who already know what they're looking at. However, I'll skip the wordiness here and leave you with some links to what others have to offer:

ps 01/26/11 - Thanks to commenters, I've edited and corrected this post and the ID above. I'm a bit embarrassed as I have already ID'd this particular fungus. In my defense, the one above looks very, very different from the jack-o-lanterns I've been visiting almost every day.

Did you rule out Western Jack O Lantern? I think that might be what it is... It is said that you can almost read a paper by their greenish light in the dark. I have also read that people who mistake them for chanterelles are very sorry for that.

John and Jeannette, it took me a while to be convinced this is what it was. I think you're right. The jack-o-lanterns near home look very different, slightly greenish, larger, and curly. Right now, they're "melting" into a yucky goo. I've corrected the ID above. Thanks! Next year I'll have to collect some to see if they glow. I had to laugh at the glowing frustration made by Mushroom Expert (3rd embedded link in the ID).

lotusleaf, thanks for commenting and for creating your blog. I feel like I can travel without actually traveling.

"I have a sneaking impression that the mystery, wonder, and the urge of their pure beauty, are going to force me to picture and paint our moths and put them into a book for all the world to see and know."

welcome!

I make no claim to be an expert. Nature ID is my personal learning tool. I regularly update past entries as I discover more information.~what: I try to include common names, scientific names, and embedded links to more informative sites as I look up IDs.~when: Unlike typical blogs, most entries on Nature ID are backdated to the actual date of my photos, with few exceptions like wordless Wednesday.~where: CA locations are noted in the labels with an 'x', CA countiesare noted with a 'y', andnon-CA places are noted with a 'z'.

If you would like to use anything of mine presented on Nature ID, Flickr, or CalPhotos, please ask for prior permission through comments or gmail: Jo Kyung Ee. Your request would make my day!

Every picture posted on Nature ID was created by me or my husband Andy. As a matter of integrity for a blog about nature I encounter, I never post others' photos, diagrams, or videos given to me or grabbed from the internet, even if they are licensed for personal, non-commercial use.

Plus, I try to limit my writing to my own observations and well-known facts. I have a healthy dose of skepticism of anything found on the internet, especially when misinformation and plagiarism are common. I will always ask for permission to quote any private e-mails, e.g., expert IDs. In order to provide richness of content for my readers and to track my sources, I frequently embed links to more informative sites. If you prefer that I not link to your site, please let me know and I will promptly and cheerfully remove your links. Additionally, if you find a link does not work or requires a log-in, I'd appreciate if you let me know in the comment section of that particular post.For more information, check out Blackweb's Copyright 101 for Bloggers, Electronic Frontier Foundation's Bloggers' FAQ on Intellectual Property, and Google's Blogger Copyright Tips.